


Genie In A Coke Bottle

by ibelieveinturtles



Series: Darcyverse [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy Lewis Bingo 2020, Darcy Lewis is a genie, Darcylvania, Djinni & Genies, Gen, Inspired by Aladdin, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis Friendship, Monsters, Mythology References, Pre-Thor (2011), The Darcyverse, Three Wishes, inspired by I Dream Of Jeannie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:35:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26893051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibelieveinturtles/pseuds/ibelieveinturtles
Summary: Newly arrived in Puente Antiguo, Jane is inspecting her new headquarters and lamenting her lack of an intern when her whole world is turned upside down.
Relationships: Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis
Series: Darcyverse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730857
Comments: 34
Kudos: 99
Collections: Darcy Lewis Bingo, The Monster Mash





	Genie In A Coke Bottle

**Author's Note:**

> Written for The Darcyverse Discord Darcylvania Event.
> 
> Week One: Movie Monsters
> 
> Title: Genie in a Coke Bottle  
> Collaborator(s): ibelieveinturtles   
> Square (letter, number, and prompt): Darcy Lewis Bingo: R1 - “Yes, I did.”  
> Pairing/Main Ship: Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis  
> Rating: G  
> Warnings/Triggers: N/A  
> Summary: Newly arrived in Puente Antiguo, Jane is inspecting her new headquarters and lamenting her lack of an intern when her whole world is turned upside down.  
> Word Count: 2424
> 
> I took inspiration from the genie in Aladdin for this one as well as a touch of I Dream of Jeannie and a read of [this wiki.](https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Genie)

**_Genie In A Coke Bottle_ **

* * *

Jane unlatched the roller door at the back of the old car dealership and pushed it up as high as she could reach, wincing slightly at the screech of metal on metal. Taking a few steps inside, she looked around with a critical eye. The place smelled dry and dusty, and she could see right away there was more sand on the floor than in the photos the real estate had sent her but the size was perfect. Moving further into the large empty space, her eyes roamed all over, already planning where to put each piece of her equipment. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, providing ample light even though she had yet to spot the light switch.

Entering the kitchen area, she idly checked the cupboards and drawers, surprised to see that someone had left both tableware and cutlery behind, even if it was all mismatched. The pantry contained a kettle and a tray of individual tea, coffee, and sugar packets. She swung around to the sink and turned the tap on, smiling when the water ran fast and clear.

Filling the kettle, she set it on the stove to boil. Coffee first, then she could start the task of unpacking the van all by herself. If only someone - anyone - had applied for the internship she'd offered. Even someone from a non-scientific degree would have done.

Turning back to survey her new domain she noticed an old Coke bottle sitting on the countertop. Someone had forced a cork into its neck. Leaning over, she picked it up to toss it in the trash but was distracted as it glinted blue in a stray sunbeam. Frowning, she held it up to the light to get a better look but there was so much dirt on it she wasn't sure how the sunbeam got through it in the first place. She'd never heard of a blue Coke bottle though. Licking her thumb, she wiped away a streak of dirt for a better look, almost dropping the bottle when it began to vibrate and shake in her hand. The bottle shook violently in her hand and with a loud pop, the cork flew across the room. Blue smoke began to billow out and Jane hurriedly set it down on the edge of the table.

The bottle wobbled, spun, and fell to the floor in a graceful arc. The smoke continued to pour out of the bottle, rising to the ceiling before condensing into the shape of… a woman?

"Oh," said Jane, "My. God."

* * *

At the first movement of her bottle, Darcy shot up from her divan. Lifting one hand, she sent a small blast of magic into the space above her. It was a risk, drawing attention to herself like that but she'd been trapped in here for far too long and she wanted out. 

She felt the bottle being lifted higher and then… there it was! A single gentle stroke of a finger down the side.

Another burst of magic, the cork popped out, and Darcy reached for freedom.

Well. As much freedom as a genie could have.

"Oh. My. God," a voice said as Darcy swirled into being.

"Hello!" Darcy said with a wave and her brightest smile. "Thank you  _ so much _ for letting me out of there, I was  _ really _ starting to get bored."

"What the fuck?" the woman said.

"Wow, a little free with the cursing there, huh?" Darcy said. "Ooh, does that mean I can curse too? My last master insisted I had to be a lady - so boring! Thank the universe he used all his wishes quickly-"

"Wishes?" the woman said. "Master?"

"Oops," Darcy said. "I forgot the introduction again, didn't I? Hi, I'm Darcy, and I'm a genie."

The woman stared at her.

"Your genie," Darcy added, in case it wasn't obvious. "You're my new master. Well, mistress," she corrected herself.

"Genies are a myth," the woman said, then she shook her head and drew a deep breath. "I must be more sleep deprived than I thought. Wait? Did Eric send you? Are you here for the internship?"

"I don't know anything about an internship, whatever that is," Darcy said, manifesting herself a pair of legs and taking a seat on the counter. "I'm here to grant wishes. Three wishes, to be precise."

"I don't need wishes," the woman snapped, "I need someone to help me set up my equipment, organise my notes, and bring me decent coffee when I need it!"

"Okay, did you miss the part where I said you have three wishes?"

The woman rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh yes, so I can just say  _ I wish my equipment was already set up properly _ and it'll miraculously happen!"

"Ooh, that's a good one," Darcy replied, hopping down from the counter, "because if I don't get it right the first time you can make me keep going until I do get it right! Alright, here we go!"

She walked into the center of the empty room, threw a glance over her shoulder to see if her new Mistress was watching, then held her arms up in front her. She had a feeling she should make this showy.

* * *

Jane watched in disbelief as blue smoke poured out of the self-proclaimed genie's fingertips, spinning faster and faster, filling every nook and cranny of the building. A wind rose, whirling through the room like a hurricane, forcing Jane to stagger back against the counter. Just as she was ready to shout for it to stop, the wind died away, taking the smoke with it.

Spitting hair out of her mouth, Jane gaped at the sight in front of her.

All of her equipment was now in the building, each item positioned exactly where Jane had envisioned it not fifteen minutes earlier.

The genie turned to Jane, hands planted firmly on her hips and a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"How's that?" she asked. "Did I get everything in the right spot? I can move it around some more if you want."

Jane looked at the genie, looked at her equipment, then at the genie again.

"This can't be real," she muttered, her feet moving towards the roller door without any instruction from her brain. By the time she reached it, she was running.

Skidding to a stop, her eyes sought out her van. 

It was empty.

She spun around to look at the genie. 

Her jaw moved up and down but no sound came out.

She closed her eyes, opened her eyes, and tried again.

"You unpacked my van," she said.

"Yes, I did," the genie said, preening.

"You're really a- a genie."

"Sure am!"

"Huh." Jane's mind whirled. Genie's were real. She, Jane Foster, had one. She'd just had a wish granted.

"So what's all this for, anyway?" the genie asked, wandering through the labyrinth of machines.

"I'm trying to prove the existence of the Einstein-Rosen bridge," Jane replied, slowly walking back into the room. There was a ringing in her ears.

"A what?"

"Wormholes in space." Jane offered the simplest explanation - did genies even understand science?

"I understand  _ some _ science," the genie replied. "And I'm a fast learner."

"I said that out loud?" The ringing in Jane's ears was getting louder.

"Um, should that thing be making so much noise?" the genie asked, waving a hand at something behind her.

"The kettle!" Jane dashed back to the kitchen. With the kettle off the heat, Jane paused to think for a moment, then turned back to the genie.

"What did you say your name was?" she asked.

"Darcy," the genie said.

"It's very nice to meet you, Darcy. I'm Jane. Would you- would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I would love a cup of coffee," Darcy replied. She still looked immensely pleased with herself and Jane had to admit, she had good reason to.

Using the time to gather her thoughts, Jane carefully added coffee to two mismatched cups, adding sugar packets to a saucer that she put in the middle of the table. She found milk in the refrigerator and set that on the table too. She filled the cups with hot water from the kettle, put them on opposite sides of the table, and they both sat down.

"So," said Jane, adding milk and a single dose of sugar to her cup, "three wishes, huh?"

"Well, two now," Darcy said, scrutinising a sugar packet before pouring it into her own cup, "but I am obliged to inform you, there are a few things I can't do."

A memory popped into Jane's head. "You can't kill anyone, you can't make anyone fall in love, and you can't bring people back from the dead, right?"

Darcy looked up from her second packet of sugar, beaming. "And here I was thinking you didn't believe in genies! What else do you know about us?"

Jane thought for a moment. She'd gone through a mythology and fairy tale stage in middle school, reading everything and anything she could get her hands on. Most of it was forgotten now though.

"Not a lot,"she admitted. "Only what ends up in movies or t.v. shows mainly. Um," she frowned, trying to remember what else she knew, "no wishing for more wishes?" 

"Ahuh," Darcy confirmed.

Jane paused for a moment, wondering if it was polite - or wise - to mention the fickleness and manipulative nature attributed to genies. She decided against it for now.

"And you're basically a prisoner and a slave, but I can use a wish to free you."

Darcy's eyebrows shot up and her mouth formed an O of surprise.

"Well, you've got most of the important bits," she said. "How do you know all that? I had to explain all of that to my last Master."

"I've seen Aladdin," Jane explained.

"Aladdin?" Darcy frowned. "I don't remember immortality being one of his wishes."

Jane gaped. "That's a thing you can wish for?" 

Darcy screwed up her nose and bobbed her head around. "Kind of, but honestly? I wouldn't recommend it. It's bad enough being 8000 years old. Forever is a ridiculously long time."

"Oh." Jane decided she needed a minute to process this and busied herself by drinking more coffee.

"So…" Darcy said a moment later, "...you mentioned Aladdin?"

"What?" Jane blinked then recalled the previous line of conversation. "Oh, um. Yes. They made a movie. Several movies, actually- wait, do you know about movies? How long have you been in that Coke bottle?  _ Why _ are you in a Coke bottle? I thought genies lived in lamps or rings?"

Darcy giggled. "Sure, I know about movies. I've only been in that bottle since 1941. Before that I was in a wine bottle from 1765 and before  _ that _ I was in a clay jug from 3rd century Athens."

"Why so many different vessels?" Jane asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "I always thought you had to stay in the same one the whole time."

Darcy shrugged. "We can move houses if we want to. Most genies don't want to." She shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "Now, any thoughts about your other wishes? Feel free to take your time, by the way. It's nice breathing fresh air again." Darcy inhaled deeply.

Jane pursed her lips and hummed. 

"Are you always attached to the bottle?" She'd noticed that even after Darcy formed legs and walked around, a thin stream of smoke still connected her to the bottle.

Darcy shook her head. "I can leave it completely for a while but I can't go too far or for too long."

"Is there a limit as to how long you can stay out?"

Darcy shook her head. "Like I said before, it's my house," she said. "I can come and go as I please, as long as the lid is off, and I have permission from my Master. Or, Mistress," she added hastily.

"A bedroom you've been stuck in for 70 years. What did you do in there for all that time?"

"Um, well I have a few books that my last master gave me, so I read them a few hundred times each. I redecorated a few times. Had a nap. Had another nap." She shrugged. "Like I said, I was starting to get  _ really _ bored."

"So, if I take my time with my other two wishes-"

"Take as long as you want!" Darcy interrupted. "Just, please, let me stay out of the bottle. It's been so long!"

Jane drummed her fingers on the table top. 

"I'm an excellent helper," Darcy said. "If you let me stay out, I can do some little stuff for you, no strings attached."

"You want to help, without me wishing for it?" 

Darcy nodded. "It's been a long time in that bottle." She leaned forward and batted her eyelids. "Come on, I promise I won't be any trouble."

Jane laughed.

"What if I use a wish to free you? Then you'll never have to go back into the bottle!"

Darcy froze. "No, no, no!" she said. "Please don't do that!"

"What?" Jane didn't even try to hide her confusion. "I thought genies wanted to be free?"

Darcy groaned and dropped her head onto the table. "I'mhidingfromanarrangedmarriageandaslongasI'mattachedtomybottlehecan'tfindme," came the muffled reply.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

A long groan rumbled across the table before Darcy lifted her head. "I chose to go into a bottle so I wouldn't have to get married."

"Oh."

"I know what you're thinking," she said, sitting up again and waving her arms around, "who would want to volunteer for this but I'll let you in on another secret." She leaned closer to Jane and lowered her voice. "I still have free will. I don't actually  _ have _ to grant any wishes or serve any masters if I don't want to, but most of the time it's fun."

Jane wondered if her eyes were popping out of her head at this revelation.

"Wait, what?"

"I know!" Darcy exclaimed. "But you can't tell anyone - it's a secret!"

"Oh, I'm good at keeping secrets," Jane said. "I just- God, I never thought I'd have to keep secrets about a genie." She laughed again. This was not how she'd expected her day to go. "How long have you been bottle-hopping for?"

"Oh, about five and a half thousand years. Give or take." Darcy shrugged. "So, are you going to keep me?"

"Do you know anything about astrophysics? Or astronomy?"

"Not really."

Jane smiled.

"How would you like to be my intern?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> You can find my My Tumblr at [ibelieveinturtles](http://ibelieveinturtles.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Also, if you're reading this as a guest and would like an account, I have invites.


End file.
